Methods, devices, kits and compositions for detecting roundworm

ABSTRACT

Methods, devices, kits and compositions for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample are disclosed herein. The methods, devices, kits and compositions of the present invention may be used to confirm the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample from a mammal that may also be infected with one or more of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm. Confirmation of the presence or absence of roundworm in the mammal may be made, for example, for the purpose of selecting an optimal course of treating the mammal and/or for the purpose of determining whether the mammal has been rid of the infection after treatment has been initiated.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/128,076, filed May 19, 2008, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

The disclosure and claims herein were made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement in effect on or before the date the claimed invention was made between Idexx Laboratories, Inc. and Divergence, Inc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to compositions, devices, kits and methods for the detection of roundworm in mammals. More particularly, the present invention relates to polypeptides and polypeptide compositions, antibodies and antibody compositions, devices, kits, and methods for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm antigen in a sample from a mammal that may also include one or more of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm antigen.

II. Description of the Prior Art

Intestinal roundworm infection is common in animals and, if left untreated, can cause serious disease and even death. Although it is relatively easy to diagnose a roundworm-infected animal as having a parasitic worm (helminth) infection of some type, it is significantly more difficult to identify roundworm, specifically, as the causative worm. This is a problem because roundworm infections are best treated when the infected animal's caregiver has knowledge that roundworm is the specific source of the infection. In addition, humans who may come in contact with the infested animal or its excretions may be advised to take precautions against acquiring the parasite. In this context, it is important to determine the worm species with high specificity, as some helminths, such as roundworms and hookworms, can cause significant disease (e.g., larva migrans) in humans,

Current methods for diagnosis of roundworm infections primarily involve microscopic examination of fecal samples, either directly in fecal smears or following concentration of ova by flotation in density media. Despite this procedure's high adoption, the method has significant shortcomings. These microscopic methods are time consuming, are unpleasant, require specialized equipment and can have low specificity [Dryden et al., 2005, Vet Therap. 6(1), 15-28]. In addition, the accuracy of results of these methods is highly dependent upon the skill and expertise of the operator.

Stool handling is disagreeable and hazardous. Sanitary and inoffensive procedures for processing stool are awkward and often complex. Such procedures may include weighing, centrifuging and storing, and are difficult except in a clinical laboratory equipped with a suitable apparatus, protective equipment, and a skilled technician. Therefore, any reduction in the number of steps required to perform a fecal test and any reduction in contact between test operator and the test material is desirable. Clinical laboratories have been using the immunoassay methods for the detection of various viruses, bacteria and non-helminth parasites and organisms in feces. However, there remains a need for a simple immunoassay method for the detection of a parasitic worm infection, and roundworm infection in particular in feces, whole blood or in serum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention includes antibodies that specifically bind to a polypeptide including all or an antigenic portion of the amino acid sequence that corresponds to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, as listed herein, or to a polypeptide including a sequence that is a conservative variant of one of those sequences. In a further aspect, the antibodies specifically bind to antigen from roundworm infested mammals, but do not specifically bind antigen from mammals infected with hookworm, heartworm and/or whipworm.

In another aspect, the invention includes antibodies that are obtained by immunization with the polypeptide including all or an antigenic portion of the amino acid sequence that corresponds to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7, or with a polypeptide including a sequence that is a conservative variant of one of those sequences.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a device for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm antigens from a sample; the device comprising a solid support, wherein the solid support has immobilized thereon one or more antibodies that are capable of specifically binding to a polypeptide that has an amino acid sequence that corresponds to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, or an antigenic portion thereof. The device, may be, but is not limited to being, for example, an ELISA device, such as a lateral flow immunoassay device or microtiterplate device. Mammalian samples that may be tested for roundworm by the device include, but are not limited to being, feces, whole blood, serum, mammary milk and whole tissue, such as tissue from mammary gland, intestine, liver, heart, lung, esophagus, brain, muscle, and eye, for example. The device further may include, but need not include, one or more reagents for the detection of one or more of the group consisting of: one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, and one or more bacteria.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of detecting the presence or absence of roundworm, such as Toxocara canis (T. canis), Toxocara cati (T. cati), Toxocara vitulorum (T. vitulorum), Toxascaris leonina (T. leonina), Baylisascaris procyonis (B. procyonis), Ascaridia galli (A. galli), Parascaris equorum (P. equorum), Ascaris suum (A. suum), Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides), Anisakis simplex (A. simplex), or Pseudoterranova decipiens (P. decipiens), for example, in a sample. The sample can be obtained from a mammal, such as a canine, feline, porcine, bovine, human, cetacean, or pinniped. In one aspect, the method is carried out to test a fecal sample for roundworm coproantigen. The method, however, is not limited to being carried out to test a fecal sample. In addition to feces, the sample therefore may be, but is not limited to being whole blood, serum, mammary milk and whole tissue, such as tissue from mammary gland, intestine, liver, heart, lung, esophagus, brain, muscle, and eye, for example. Steps of the method include contacting the sample with one or more of the antibodies of the invention; forming antibody polypeptide complexes in the presence of the polypeptides if any, in the sample; and detecting the presence or absence of the antibody-polypeptide complexes, if any. The method further may include one or more of the optional steps of diagnosing the mammal as either having or not having a roundworm infection and determining whether a nucleic acid from roundworm is present in the same sample that was contacted with the antibodies for the purpose of detecting the presence or absence of roundworm or in some other sample from the mammal. The method may also be used to test for environmental contamination with roundworm. Environmental samples that may be tested for roundworm by the device include, but are not limited to soil, decomposing material, or fecal matter from residential settings including yards, gardens, sand boxes, playgrounds. Testing locations may also include parks, beaches, forests, farms, or other locations exposed to fecal material from dogs, cats, or other mammalian hosts of roundworms. Feces from indoor and outdoor litter boxes may also be tested.

In yet another aspect, the present invention includes a kit for carrying out one or more steps of the method of the invention. The kit may optionally include, for example, the device and one or more of the compositions of the present invention and instructions for carrying out the method of the present invention. The kit may further optionally include, for example, one or more indicator reagents, one or more antibody labeling compounds, one or more antibodies, one or more antigen capture reagents, one or more inhibitors, and one or more wash reagents to be used as part of the device and/or to be used in carrying out the method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the nucleotide sequence of an 469-nucleotide cDNA sequence from whole adult Toxocara canis. (SEQ ID NO:1).

FIG. 2 shows the nucleotide sequence of an 548-nucleotide cDNA sequence from whole adult Toxocara cati. (SEQ ID NO:2).

FIG. 3 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:3) of a large open reading frame (ORF) of SEQ ID NO:1. The stop codon is indicated by *.

FIG. 4 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:4) of a large ORF of SEQ ID NO:2. The stop codon is indicated by *.

FIG. 5 shows a comparison alignment of SEQ ID NO:4 and SEQ ID NO:5. The consensus sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 and SEQ ID NO:5 is shown as SEQ ID NO:7.

FIG. 6A shows a multi-well plate device of the present invention.

FIG. 6B shows a close up of a single well of the plate of FIG. 5A with a specific antibody of the present invention immobilized thereto.

FIG. 7 shows a graph of optical density (OD) values obtained from fecal samples from roundworm-infected canines by following the method of the present invention in a first Example.

FIG. 8 shows a graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from canine infected with either roundworm, hookworm or whipworm by following the method of the present invention in a second Example.

FIG. 9 shows a graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from canine infected with heartworm by following the method of the present invention in the second Example.

FIG. 10 shows the results of an ELISA assay using fecal samples from canines infected with either roundworm, hookworm, whipworm or heartworm by following the method of the present invention in a third Example.

FIG. 11 shows a first graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from a set of canines that had an active roundworm infection and from fecal samples from those canines after they had been rid of their active roundworm infection by following the method of the present invention in a fourth Example.

FIG. 12 shows a second graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from a set of canines that did not have a roundworm infection by following the method of the present invention in the fourth Example.

FIG. 13 shows a first graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from a set of felines that had an active roundworm infection and from fecal samples from those felines after they had been rid of their active roundworm infection by following the method of the present invention in a fifth Example.

FIG. 14 shows a second graph of OD values obtained from fecal samples from a set of felines that did not have a roundworm infection by following the method of the present invention in the fifth Example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION I. Introduction

The present invention is generally directed to methods, devices, kits and compositions for detecting roundworm in a fecal sample obtained from a mammal. The present invention relates to roundworm coproantigens from Toxocara, such as Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati, for example. In particular, the present invention relates to Toxocara polypeptides and conservative variants thereof, polynucleotides that encode those polypeptides and oligonucleotides that specifically bind to those polynucleotides, antibodies that are raised against and that specifically bind those polypeptides, and methods, devices and kits for detecting roundworm, such as Toxocara, Toxascaris, Baylisascaris, Ascaridia, Parascaris, Ascaris, Anisakis, or Pseudoterranova, including T. canis, T. cati, T. vitulorum, T. leonina, B. procyonis, A. galli, P. equorum, A. lumbricoides, A. suum, A. simplex, or P. decipiens, for example.

The present invention provides a superior alternative to the existing microscopic inspection techniques. This is true because the present invention provides devices, kits and methods for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a sample from a mammal that: (1) are both easy to use and yield consistently reliable results; (2) allow for the absence or presence of roundworm in a mammal to be confirmed regardless of whether that mammal is infected with hookworm, whipworm, and/or heartworm; (3) can detect roundworm prior to the time that the ova first appear in the infected host's feces; and (4) can distinguish between roundworm and other helminth infections.

The present invention is based in part on the discovery of unexpected properties of compositions specific to roundworm infections. Specifically, it was determined that antibodies raised against worm specific polypeptides can be used to capture, detect, and distinguish between roundworm antigens, whipworm antigens, and hookworm antigens in a mammal. The specificity for each type of worm is surprising because roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms all are related nematodes, and an antibody raised against a protein isolated from any one of these worms would be expected to crossreact with one or more of the other worms, host antigens, or other host components.

It was further determined that this antibody can be used to capture and detect roundworm antigens in a mammal as early as 31 days after the mammal is first infected with roundworm. This ability to detect roundworm so soon after infection, and before the appearance of any roundworm ova in the feces of the infected mammal, confers a significant advantage over the conventional microscopic observation of ova, because roundworm ova generally do not appear in the feces of an infective host until about five-to-eight weeks after the host becomes infected.

The present invention therefore includes methods, devices, compositions and kits that use antibodies and/or fragments thereof to specifically capture and detect roundworm antigens in a mammal that may also be infested by one or more of whipworm, hookworm and heartworm. The ability of the present invention to detect and diagnose roundworm even when one or more other worm types are also present allows the mammal's caregiver the opportunity to optimally select a treatment for ridding the roundworm from the mammal. Further, the ability of the present invention to, in some cases, detect roundworm as early as 31 days after the mammal is first infected provides the possibility that the caregiver may begin such treatment before the mammal becomes severely sickened by the roundworm. An intervention prior to appearance of ova in the feces would also greatly reduce or eliminate the possibility that the infestation is spread to other animals or humans.

II. Definitions and Uses of Term

The term “compositions of the invention” refers to all of the nucleic acids, polypeptides, antibodies, and mixtures that include one or more of those nucleic acids, polypeptides, and antibodies and one or more other compounds, that can be used to detect the presence or absence of roundworm in a sample obtained from a mammal by carrying out the method of the present invention that are explicitly described, implicitly encompassed or otherwise disclosed herein.

“A sample from a mammal” in which roundworm can be detected by the present invention includes all bodily components and extracts thereof, such as any fluid, solid, cell or tissue, that are capable of containing roundworm antigen. Exemplary samples therefore include, but are not limited to being, feces, milk, whole blood and portions thereof, including serum, and further include tissue extracts, including tissue from mammary gland, intestine, liver, heart, lung, esophagus, brain, muscle, and eye, for example. The sample may be taken directly from the mammal or the sample may be taken from anything that has contacted the mammal. For example, the sample may be fresh or decaying fecal droppings from the mammal. As another example, the sample may include soil, dirt, sand, plant material, or any other material that may be mixed with bodily components that may be left behind by a mammal, such as feces, for example. As such, the sample may be taken from an environmental source, including soil, decomposing material, or fecal matter from forests, farms, or residential settings, including litter boxes, yards, gardens, sand boxes, playgrounds, parks, and beaches. No matter the origin or the content of the sample, this sample sometimes is referred to herein as the “sample”, the “mammalian sample”, the “test sample” or the “sample under test”.

As used herein, “nucleic acid” is synonymous with, and therefore is used interchangeably with, “gene”, “DNA”, “cDNA”, “EST”, “polynucleotide”, “oligonucleotide”, “polynucleic acid”, “RNA” and “mRNA”. A nucleic acid may be in double-stranded form or it may be in single-stranded form. Further, a nucleic acid is either naturally isolated, such as from a whole roundworm or a portion thereof, for example, or it is artificially synthesized, either in a recombinant host organism or by any other artificial means known to the skilled artisan, such as by employing a PCR-based technique, by creating a transgenic organism that synthesizes the nucleic acid, by using a DNA synthesizing machine, or by any another molecular-based technique, for example.

“Polypeptide”, “peptide” and “protein” are synonymous terms that are used interchangeably herein to refer to a polymer of amino acid residues. A polypeptide, peptide and protein of the present invention may be either naturally isolated, such as from a whole roundworm or from a portion of roundworm, for example, or artificially synthesized, either in a recombinant host organism or by any other artificial means known to the skilled artisan.

The term “antibody” or “antibody of the present invention” refers to any antibody that is able to specifically bind to one or more roundworm antigens, but not to any antigen from hookworm, whipworm or heartworm. The antibodies of the present invention may be raised against one or more immunogenic polypeptides of the present invention. Unless otherwise stated, it is to be understood that the antibody of the present invention may include a mixture of two or more different types of antibody. For example, the antibody may be a mixture of two types of antibodies, wherein one of the two types specifically binds to one particular antigen and the other of the two types specifically binds to some other antigen.

The “immunogenic polypeptide of the present invention” and, more simply, “the polypeptide of the present invention”, is an immunogen against which the antibodies of the present invention may be raised. All “polypeptides of the present invention” are immunogenic and therefore may be used to elicit an immune response in a host animal to produce the antibodies of the present invention. Unless otherwise stated, it is to be understood that the polypeptide of the present invention may be one component of a mixed composition of a plurality of components.

An “immunogen” is any agent, such as the immunogenic polypeptide of the present invention, for example, that is capable of eliciting an immune response in an animal that is exposed to that agent.

The term “roundworm”, as used herein, refers to helminths such as intestinal roundworms of the order Ascaridida, which includes the genera Toxocara, Toxascaris, Baylisascaris, Ascaridia, Parascaris, Ascaris, Anisakis, and Pseudoterranova. Thus, the term “roundworm”, as used herein, does not refer to the entirety of the phylum Nematoda. Therefore, “roundworm” does not include any member of the genera Ancylostoma, Uncinaria, Necator, Trichuris or Dirofilaria.

A “roundworm coproantigen” or a “coproantigen of roundworm” is any roundworm product that is present in the feces of a mammal having a roundworm infection and that may be specifically bound by one or more of the antibodies of the invention. For example, a roundworm coproantigen may be, but is not limited to being, one or more of the polypeptides of the invention.

“Specific for”, “specifically binds”, and “stably binds” means that a particular composition of the invention, such as an antibody, polypeptide, or oligonucleotide of the present invention, for example, recognizes and binds to one or more other agents with greater affinity than to at least one other agent. As one example, an antibody of the present invention is said to be “specific for”, to “specifically bind”, and to “stably bind” roundworm antigens whenever that antibody is able to recognize and bind to those roundworm antigens with greater affinity than to any other antigens from a non-roundworm parasitic worm. Such binding specificity can be tested using methodology well known in the art, for example, ELISA or a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Based on information observed regarding the binding specificity of a particular composition of the invention, the method of the present invention can be carried out under conditions that allow that composition to bind to (and therefore to allow the detection of such binding to) a particular agent or agents, but not to significantly bind other agents, while those conditions are maintained. As one example, the method of the present invention can be carried out under conditions that allow an antibody of the present invention to bind to (and therefore to allow the detection of such binding to) one or more roundworm antigens present in a particular sample, but not significantly to any hookworm, whipworm or heartworm antigen that may be present in that sample.

“Detecting roundworm” means detecting one or more roundworm-specific products, including one or more of the polypeptides, antibodies and nucleic acids of the present invention, or one or more roundworm antigens, for example. The presence of one or more such roundworm products in a sample from a mammal is indicative that the mammal has a roundworm infection, regardless of whether any whole roundworm organism or ovum thereof is also present in that sample. Conversely, the absence of one or more such roundworm products a sample from a mammal is indicative that the mammal does not have a roundworm infection.

“Amino acid” refers to naturally occurring and synthetic amino acids. Amino acid residues are abbreviated as follows: Alanine is A or Ala; Arginine is R or Arg; Asparagine is N or Asn; Aspartic Acid is D or Asp; Cysteine is C or Cys; Glutamic Acid is E or Glu; Glutamine is Q or Gln; Glycine is G or Gly; Histidine is H or H is; Isoleucine is I or Ile; Leucine is L or Leu; Lysine is K or Lys; Methionine is M or Met; Phenylalanine is F or Phe; Proline is P or Pro; Serine is S or Ser; Threonine is T or Thr; Tryptophan is W or Trp; Tyrosine is Y or Tyr; and Valine is V or Val. Except where defined otherwise herein, X or Xaa represents any amino acid. Other relevant amino acids include, but are not limited to being, 4-hydroxyproline and 5-hydroxylysine. In all cases, the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide described or otherwise referred to herein is presented in conventional form in that the left-most, or first, amino acid residue of the sequence is the N-terminal residue and the right-most, or last, amino acid residue of the sequence is the C-terminal residue.

A “conservative variant” of any particular nucleic acid sequence includes any sequence having one or more degenerate codon substitutions to that particular nucleic acid sequence, any sequence having one or more nucleotide substitutions to, insertions to, and deletions from that particular nucleic acid sequence, and the complementary sequence of that particular nucleic acid and the conservative variants of that complementary sequence. Conservative variants of a particular nucleic acid sequence preferably have at least about 85% identity, more preferably have at least about 90% identity, and even more preferably at least about 95-99% identity, to that particular nucleic acid sequence. Conservative variants of a particular nucleic acid sequence may be artificially synthesized or they may be isolated in their natural form from an organism, including from a roundworm organism, such as Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, for example.

A “conservative variant” of any particular polypeptide sequence is any polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that varies from the amino acid sequence of that particular polypeptide but still retains the specific binding properties of that particular polypeptide, such that an antibody of the present invention that is raised against the particular polypeptide is capable of specifically binding the variant polypeptide. Therefore, for example, a conservative variant of a particular polypeptide may have one or more amino acid substitutions, deletions, additions, and insertions to that particular polypeptide. For example, a conserved variant of a particular polypeptide may have 30 or fewer, 25 or fewer, 20 or fewer, 15 or fewer, 10 or fewer, or 5 or fewer, conserved amino acid substitutions to that particular polypeptide. Conservative variants of a particular polypeptide preferably, but not essentially, have at least about 80% identity, more preferably have at least about 90% identity, and even more preferably at least about 91-99% identity, to that particular polypeptide. A percent identity for any subject nucleic acid or amino acid sequence (e.g., any of polypeptides described herein) relative to another “target” nucleic acid or amino acid sequence can be determined as follows. First, a target nucleic acid or amino acid sequence of the invention can be compared and aligned to a subject nucleic acid or amino acid sequence, using the BLAST 2 Sequences (Bl2seq) program from the stand-alone version of BLASTZ containing BLASTN and BLASTP (e.g., version 2.0.14). The stand-alone version of BLASTZ can be obtained at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Instructions explaining how to use BLASTZ, and specifically the Bl2seq program, can be found in the readme file accompanying BLASTZ. The programs also are described in detail by Karlin et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 87:2264; Karlin et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 90:5873; and Altschul et al. (1997) Nucl. Acids Res. 25:3389.

Bl2seq performs a comparison between the subject sequence and a target sequence using either the BLASTN (used to compare nucleic acid sequences) or BLASTP (used to compare amino acid sequences) algorithm. Typically, the default parameters of a BLOSUM62 scoring matrix, gap existence cost of 11 and extension cost of 1, a word size of 3, an expect value of 10, a per residue cost of 1 and a lambda ratio of 0.85 are used when performing amino acid sequence alignments. The output file contains aligned regions, of homology between the target sequence and the subject sequence. Once aligned, a length is determined by counting the number of consecutive nucleotides or amino acid residues (i.e., excluding gaps) from the target sequence that align with sequence from the subject sequence starting with any matched position and ending with any other matched position. A matched position is any position where an identical nucleotide or amino acid residue is present in both the target and subject sequence. Gaps of one or more residues can be inserted into a target or subject sequence to maximize sequence alignments between structurally conserved domains (e.g., α-helices, β-sheets, and loops).

The percent identity over a particular length is determined by counting the number of matched positions over that particular length, dividing that number by the length and multiplying the resulting value by 100. For example, if (i) a 500 amino acid target sequence is compared to a subject amino acid sequence, (ii) the Bl2seq program presents 200 amino acids from the target sequence aligned with a region of the subject sequence where the first and last amino acids of that 200 amino acid region are matches, and (iii) the number of matches over those 200 aligned amino acids is 180, then the 500 amino acid target sequence contains a length of 200 and a sequence identity over that length of 90% (i.e., 180/200×100=90). It will be appreciated that a nucleic acid or amino acid target sequence that aligns with a subject sequence can result in many different lengths with each length having its own percent identity. It is noted that the percent identity value can be rounded to the nearest tenth. For example, 78.11, 78.12, 78.13, and 78.14 is rounded down to 78.1, while 78.15, 78.16, 78.17, 78.18, and 78.19 is rounded up to 78.2. It is also noted that the length value will always be an integer.

Conservative variants of a particular polypeptide sequence may be artificially synthesized or they may be isolated in their natural form from an organism, including from a roundworm organism, such as Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, for example. In one specific example, the polypeptide of the invention having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:4 shown below is a conservative variant of the polypeptide of the present invention having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3 in that SEQ ID NO:4 is more than 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3 over an alignment of 126 amino acids. More generally, each one of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7 are conserved variants of each other. It is also to be understood that other conserved variants of the SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7 are contemplated by the present invention as described herein, but the skilled artisan would recognize that all of these contemplated variants are too numerous to list. The skilled artisan will also recognize that these variants include, but are not limited to, those have one or more substitutions of basic amino acid residues, one or more substitutions of acidic amino acid residues, one or more substitutions of polar amino acid residues, one or more substitutions of hydrophobic amino acid residues, one or more substitutions of aromatic amino acid residues, and one or more substitutions of small amino acid residues. (“Basic” amino acid residues are K, R and H. “Acidic” amino acid residues are D and E. “Polar” amino acid residues are N and Q. “Hydrophobic” amino acids are I, L, and V. “Aromatic” amino acid residues are F, Y, and W. “Small” amino acids are G, S, A, T and M.)

I. Nucleic Acids and Polypeptides of the Invention

The nucleic acids and polypeptides of the invention are described in detail in Provisional Application: “Methods, Devices, Kits And Compositions For Detecting Roundworm,” Application Ser. No. 61/128,076, filed May 19, 2008, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In an attempt to identify compositions that may be used to confirm the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample, a plurality of oligonucleotide primers were designed, synthesized and used in 5′ RACE, 3′RACE and RT-PCR reactions that included total RNA isolated from either whole adult Toxocara canis or whole adult Toxocara cati. As a result of these efforts, an 469-nucleotide cDNA sequence was deduced from Toxocara canis (this sequence is shown in FIG. 1 and is identified herein as SEQ ID NO: 1), and a 548-nucleotide cDNA sequence was deduced from Toxocara cati (this sequence is shown in FIG. 2 and is identified herein as SEQ ID NO:2). (BLAST searches that were carried out using SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO:2 indicated these sequences are likely to encode a member of a particular serine protease inhibitor family that was first identified in Ascaris, but that has not been identified in either T. canis or T. cati until now.)

Analysis of the sequences corresponding to SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2 indicated that each one of these sequences contains a large open reading frame (ORF). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the large ORF of SEQ ID NO:1 corresponds to nucleotides 21 through 446 of SEQ ID NO:1 and is predicted to encode a polypeptide having the following amino acid sequence:

(SEQ ID NO: 3) MLPITFLLAIIVGAAVAHRKCGPNEEWTECTGCEIKCGQGEQPCPMMCRP PSCECMAGKGLRRTADGRCVPEAQCPKRMVKRDEKCGPNEKFLKCRGCEG TCKERLVPCPRMCKPPGCECPASEGFVRNDKGECIKFDDCPK.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the large ORF of SEQ ID NO:2 corresponds to nucleotides 21 through 446 of SEQ ID NO:2 and is predicted to encode a polypeptide having the following amino acid sequence:

(SEQ ID NO: 4) MLPLTFLLAFIVGAAVAHRKCGPNEEWTECTGCEMKCGEGETPCPMMCRP PSCECMAGKGLRRTPDGRCVPEAQCPKHMVKRDEKCGKNEKFLKCRGCEG TCKERLVPCPKMCKPPGCECPASEGFVRNDKHECIKFDDCPK.

The polypeptides of the present invention are encoded for by nucleic acids that have a nucleotide sequence that corresponds to all or portions of SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2 and all conservative variants of those sequences. It is to be understood therefore that the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide of the present invention is variable.

For example, the polypeptide of the present invention may have an amino acid sequence that corresponds to all or a portion of SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4 or all or a portion of a conservative variant of SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4.

In one specific example, the polypeptide of the present invention has the following amino acid sequence:

(SEQ ID NO: 5) MHRKCGPNEEWTECTGCEIKCGQGEQPCPMMCRPPSCECMAGKGLRRTAD GRCVPEAQCPKRMVKRDEKCGPNEKFLKCRGCEGTCKERLVPCPRMCKPP GCECPASEGFVRNDKGECIKFDDCPK.

The 125 amino acid residues that follow the N-terminal methionine residue of the polypeptide corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 specifically represent the amino acid residues 18 through 142 of SEQ ID NO:3. As described in the Example section included herein, the N-terminal methionine was artificially added to the N-terminus of this polypeptide by carrying out a standard cloning technique. Also as described throughout the Example section, antibody raised against the polypeptide corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 was useful for detecting roundworm antigen. Because the N-terminal methionine was artificially added, and is not thought to naturally exist in Toxocara (the residue that is immediately prior to the histidine residue at position 18 in each one of SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4 is alanine, and not methionine), it is therefore contemplated that the polypeptide of the present invention may have an amino acid sequence that corresponds to amino acid residues 18 through 142 of SEQ ID NO:3, or, more specifically:

(SEQ ID NO: 6) HRKCGPNEEWTECTGCEIKCGQGEQPCPMMCRPPSCECMAGKGLRRTADG RCVPEAQCPKRMVKRDEKCGPNEKFLKCRGCEGTCKERLVPCPRMCKPPG CECPASEGFVRNDKGECIKFDDCPK.

Further, an alignment of SEQ ID NO:5 (mostly Toxocara canis-derived sequence; with the only exception being the N-terminal methionine residue) to SEQ ID NO:4 (Toxocara cati-derived sequence) is shown in FIG. 5. Because antibody raised against a polypeptide having sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 was useful for detecting Toxocara cati (see the Example section included herein), it is additionally contemplated that the polypeptide of the present invention may have the amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:7 (which also is shown in FIG. 5), wherein the X at position 1 is M or absent, the X at position 2 is L or absent, the X at position 3 is P or absent, the X at position 4 is L or absent (or the X at position 4 is I, which occupies position 4 of SEQ ID NO:3), the X at position 5 is T or absent, the X at position 6 is F or absent, the X at position 7 is L or absent, the X at position 8 is L or absent, the X at position 9 is A or absent, the X at position 10 is F or absent (or the X at position 10 is I, which occupies position 10 of SEQ ID NO:3), the X at position 11 is I or absent, the X at position 12 is V or absent, the X at position 13 is G or absent, the X at position 14 is A or absent, the X at position 15 is A or absent, the X at position 16 is V or absent, the X at position 16 is M or A, the X at position 35 is I or M, the X at position 39 is Q or E, the X at position 42 is Q or T, the X at position 65 is A or P, the X at position 78 is R or H, the X at position 88 is P or K, the X at position 111 is R or K, and the X at position 132 is G or H.

It is also contemplated that any one or more of the SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7 may be only a portion of a larger polypeptide sequence, and therefore may represent partial sequence of one or more proteins that normally are expressed in roundworm, for example, or one or more polypeptide sequences that are artificially fused to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7. The skilled artisan will recognize that are a variety of techniques exist for artificially fusing two or more polypeptide fragments together.

It is even further contemplated that the polypeptide of the present invention may include more than one of the SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7. For example, the polypeptide of the present invention may include the SEQ ID NO:5 fused to the SEQ ID NO:7. Also, it is contemplated that the polypeptide of the present invention may include a plurality of polypeptide fragments corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7. For example, the polypeptide of the present invention may be formed by a plurality of polypeptide fragments corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 that are fused together. In another example, the polypeptide of the present invention may be formed by a plurality of polypeptide fragments corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 and a plurality of polypeptide fragments corresponding to SEQ ID NO:7 that are fused together in any combination.

Whereas one particular polypeptide of the present invention was expressed and isolated by a specific technique (in which is described in the Example section included herein), the skilled artisan will recognize that any of the polypeptides of the present invention may be isolated by employing any one or more of a variety of techniques. (See, e.g., Sewald and Jakubke, Peptides: Chemistry and Biology, Wiley Publishing (2002); Peptide Synthesis and Applications (Methods in Molecular Biology) Howl, ed., Humana Press (2005); Jones, Amino Acid and Peptide Synthesis, Oxford University Press (2002), each one of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.) These techniques include those that may be carried out to isolate naturally existing polypeptides having amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7 and any naturally occurring variant of those polypeptides. These techniques further include those that may be carried out to artificially generate the polypeptides having amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7 and any conserved variant of those polypeptides. Such variants may be generated, for example, by employing any one or more mutagenesis techniques or by direct synthesis.

The polypeptides of the present invention are capable of eliciting an immune response in a host animal that is exposed to these polypeptides to produce one or more of the antibodies of the present invention. Regardless of the technique by which they are derived, the polypeptides of the present invention are preferably prepared in substantially pure form when they are to be used for the purpose of raising antibody. Preferably, these polypeptides are at least about 80% pure, more preferably are at least about 90-95% pure, and even more preferably are at least about 99% pure. Exemplary techniques for eliciting an immune response in a host organism and for isolating antibodies therefrom are described herein, but it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those techniques. The skilled artisan will recognize that there are a plurality of techniques for achieving this same goal without deviating from the scope and spirit of the invention.

III. Antibodies of the Invention

The present invention further includes antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof that are raised against and/or that specifically bind all or part of one or more polypeptides of the present invention, and also includes compositions that include said antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof. When contacted to a sample obtained from a mammal, these antibodies and antigen-binding fragments are able to specifically bind roundworm antigen present in the sample, but are not able to specifically bind any antigen from hookworm, whipworm, or heartworm that may be present in the sample. The antibodies of the present invention are suitable for being used only to capture one or more roundworm antigens, only to detect one or more roundworm antigens, or more preferably, to both capture and detect one or more roundworm antigens.

The antibodies of the present invention may belong to any antibody class, including for example, IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD and IgE, and may be prepared by any of a variety of techniques known to the skilled artisan. (See, e.g., Dean, Methods Mol. Biol. 80:23-37 (1998); Dean, Methods Mol. Biol. 32:361-79 (1994); Baileg, Methods Mol. Biol. 32:381-88 (1994); Gullick, Methods Mol. Biol. 32:389-99 (1994); Drenckhahn et al. Methods Cell. Biol. 37:7-56 (1993); Morrison, Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:239-65 (1992); Wright et al. Crit. Rev. Immunol. 12:125-68 (1992); Harlow and Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (1988); and Making and Using Antibodies: A Practical Handbook, Howard and Kaser, eds., CRC Press (2006), each one of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.)

In one technique, the polypeptide of the invention is introduced into a host animal, such as into rabbit, mouse, rat, guinea pig, goat, pig, cow, sheep, donkey, dog, cat, chicken, or horse, for example. An enhanced immune response may be elicited in the host animal by associating the polypeptide with a carrier and/or by exposing the host to an adjuvant, but it is to be understood that the present invention does not require that the polypeptide be associated with a carrier or that the host be exposed to the adjuvant. An exemplary carrier that may be used for this purpose is bovine serum albumin, bovine thyroglobulin, and soybean trypsin inhibitor. Exemplary adjuvants include Freund's complete or incomplete adjuvant and MDL-TDM adjuvant. Regardless of whether the polypeptide is associated with such a carrier or whether the host is exposed to an adjuvant, booster immunizations optionally may be made with the host animal being bled one or more times thereafter. Polyclonal antibodies that specifically bind the polypeptide may then be purified from antisera obtained from the bleed or bleeds. Such purification may be achieved, for example, by employing affinity chromatography techniques that involve associating the polypeptide to a solid support. Such affinity chromatography techniques are well known by the skilled artisan.

In one embodiment, the antibody of the present invention is an antibody that is raised in rabbit by immunizing that host animal with the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5. (Hereinafter, this particular antibody is referred to as “anti-DIV6744”.) A specific technique for producing and isolating anti-DIV6744 pAB is described in the Example section included herein, but the skilled artisan will recognize that the production and isolating of anti-DIV6744 pAB, or any other antibody of the present invention, is not limited to that specific technique.

In other embodiments, the antibody of the present invention is raised in a host against one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of the sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5. In some other embodiments, the antibody of the present invention is raised in a host against any one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence corresponding to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, or SEQ ID NO:7, or one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of any of those sequences.

In another embodiment, the antibody of the present invention is an antibody that specifically binds one or more the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, or SEQ ID NO:7, or antigenic portions thereof.

In yet other embodiments, the antibody of the present invention specifically binds one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of the sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5. In some other embodiments, the antibody of the present invention specifically binds one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence corresponding to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, or SEQ ID NO:7, or one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of any of those sequences.

It is also to be understood that the antibodies of the invention may be polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies, single chain antibodies (scFv), chimeric antibodies, and fragments thereof. Monoclonal antibodies that are specific for the polypeptide of interest may be obtained and purified, for example, by preparing cell lines that generate antibodies having the desired specificity to the polypeptide of interest. Cell lines of this kind may be derived from cells of a particular type (e.g., spleen cells) that are isolated from a host animal that had previously been immunized with the polypeptide as described before. In such a case, these cells could then be immortalized, for example, by fusing them with myeloma cells by carrying out any one of a variety of fusion techniques known to the skilled artisan. In one exemplary technique, the cells from the immunized host animal are co-incubated with their fusion partner, e.g., the myeloma cells, in the presence of a detergent for a short period of time before being plated on a medium that supports the growth of hybrid cells (but not the myeloma fusion partner). Such selection may be achieved, for example, by using hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine (HAT). When hybrid cells emerge during selection, in perhaps one or two weeks after commencing the selection process, single hybrid colonies (and their supernatants) are tested for their ability to bind the polypeptide or polypeptides against which the host animal was immunized. Hybrid colonies having the most optimal binding specificity would represent the best candidates from which monoclonal antibodies may be isolated. These monoclonal antibodies, for example, may be isolated directly from the supernatant (i.e., medium) in which these colonies are grown by employing any one of a variety techniques known to the skilled artisan.

The antibodies of the invention also may be a single chain antibody (scFv), or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody. Antigen-binding fragments of antibodies are a portion of an intact antibody comprising the antigen binding site or variable region of an intact antibody, wherein the portion is free of the constant heavy chain domains of the Fc region of the intact antibody. Examples of antibody fragments include Fab, Fab′, Fab′-SH, F(ab′)₂ and F_(v) fragments. In addition to production and purification from animals or mammalian cells, antibodies, antibody fragments, or non-antibody scaffolds can be selected based upon various in vitro technologies, including phage display, ribosomal display, or bacterial display.

Antibodies, including secondary antibodies, may be labeled with any type of label known in the art, including, for example, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, radioactive, enzymes, colloidal particles, radioisotopes and bioluminescent labels. In various embodiments of the invention, the one or more of the antibodies of the invention are labeled with an enzyme, a colloidal particle, a radionuclide or a fluorophor. The particulate label can be, for example, a colored latex particle, dye sol, or gold sol conjugated to an antibody.

II. Methods, Devices and Kits of the Invention

A. Devices and Kits of the Invention

The present invention, in one aspect, is a device for the detection of roundworm infection in a mammal, such as a canine, feline, porcine, bovine, or human, for example. The device is arranged to aid in the detection of the presence or absence of roundworm antigen in a sample from a mammal that may also be infected with one or more other worm parasites, including hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm.

In one aspect, the device includes a solid support, wherein one or more antibodies of the invention are immobilized on the solid support. The solid support may be, but is not limited to being, the inner, bottom surface of a well of a microtiter plate or a substrate that is included as part of a lateral flow device, for example. An exemplary microtiter plate is an Immulon 1B 96-well plate (which is commercially available from Thermo Scientific of Milford, Mass.), but it is to be understood that the skilled artisan will recognize that a large variety of other microtiter plates that are not the Immulon 1 B 96-well plate allow for the immobilization of antibodies thereon, and therefore would be suitable for providing the solid support of the present invention.

An exemplary lateral flow device is the lateral flow device that is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The device for performing a lateral flow assay may be a SNAP® device, which is commercially available from IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. of Westbrook, Me. However, it is to be understood that the skilled artisan will recognize that a large variety of other lateral flow devices that are not SNAP® devices or described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,010 allow for the immobilization of an antibody thereon, and therefore would be suitable for being used as the device of the present invention. These devices can include, for example, lateral flow devices that use colloidal gold technology.

Antibodies used in the device of the invention may be immobilized on the solid support by any methodology known in the art, including, for example, covalently or non-covalently, directly or indirectly, attaching the antibodies to the solid support. Therefore, while these antibodies may be attached to the solid support by physical adsorption (i.e., without the use of chemical linkers), it is also true that these antibodies may be immobilized to the solid support by any chemical binding (i.e., with the use of chemical linkers) method readily known to one of skill in the art.

It is also to be understood that the solid support may be any suitable material for the immobilization of the antibodies of the invention. For example, the solid support may be beads, particles, tubes, wells, probes, dipsticks, pipette tips, slides, fibers, membranes, papers, natural and modified celluloses, polyacrylamides, agaroses, glass, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, dextran, nylon, amylases, plastics, magnetite or any other suitable material readily known to one of skill in the art.

The device optionally may include one or more labeled antigen capture reagents that may be mixed with a sample from a mammal prior to application to a device of the invention. When the labeled capture antigen reagent is included, the labeled antigen capture reagent may or may not be deposited or dried on a solid surface of the device. “Antigen capture reagent” refers to any compound that is specific for the antigen or antigens of interest. The labeled antigen capture reagent, whether added to the mammalian sample or pre-deposited on the device, may be, for example, a labeled antibody specific for a roundworm antigen, including, but not limited to, the antibodies of the present invention. In just one example, anti-DIV6744 pAB conjugated with horseradish peroxidase may be used as a labeled antigen capture reagent.

The device also may optionally include a liquid reagent that transports (such as when the device is a SNAP® device, for example), or otherwise facilitates removal of (such as when the device includes a microtiter plate, for example), unbound material (e.g., unreacted portions of the mammalian sample, such as, for example, unreacted portions of fecal extract, and unbound antigen capture reagent) away from the reaction zone (solid phase). The liquid reagent may be a wash reagent and serve only to remove unbound material from the reaction zone, or it may include a detector reagent and serve to both remove unbound material and facilitate antigen detection. For example, in the case of an antigen capture reagent conjugated to an enzyme, the detector reagent includes a substrate that produces a detectable signal upon reaction with the enzyme-antibody conjugate at the reaction zone (solid phase). Alternatively, in the case of a labeled antigen capture reagent conjugated to a radioactive, fluorescent, or light-absorbing molecule, the liquid reagent acts merely as a wash solution facilitating detection of complex formation at the reactive zone by washing away unbound labeled reagent.

The liquid reagent may further include a limited quantity of an “inhibitor”, i.e., a substance that blocks the development of the detectable end product. A limited quantity is defined as being an amount of inhibitor sufficient to block end product development until most or all excess, unbound material is transported away from the second region, at which time detectable end product is produced.

The device of the present invention may also include various binding reagents immobilized at locations distinct from the antigen capture reagent or reagents. For example, an immunoreagent (an antibody, antigen or polypeptide) that recognizes a species-specific (e.g., roundworm-specific) antibody portion of a labeled antibody or antigen capture reagent, or an enzyme portion of an enzyme-labeled reagent, can be included as a positive control to assess the viability of the reagents within the device. For example, a positive control may be an anti-horseradish peroxidase antibody that has been raised in, for example, goat or mouse. Additionally, a reagent, e.g., an antibody, isolated from a non-immune member of the species from which the antibody portion of the antigen-antibody complex was derived can be included as a negative control to assess the specificity of immunocomplex (i.e., antigen-antibody complex) formation.

In addition to being designed to detect roundworm in a mammalian sample, the device of the invention optionally may be designed to allow one or more other diagnostic tests to be performed. For example, the solid support may also include reagents for the detection of one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, or one or more bacteria. The reagents for the detection of one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, or one or more bacteria may be, for example, one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, or one or more bacteria.

In one embodiment, which is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the device of the present invention is a microtiter plate 10 that includes a plurality of wells 12, wherein each well 12 includes a solid support 14 having anti-DIV6744 pAB (represented as element 16) immobilized thereupon.

The plate 10 may be used in conjunction with a method of the present invention to detect roundworm in a mammalian sample. Specifically, a roundworm infection may be diagnosed in a mammal by detecting one or more roundworm antigens with the anti-DIV6744 pAB that is immobilized on the solid support 14. In one embodiment, the antigens that are detected are roundworm coproantigens. “Roundworm coproantigens” are any product or products of roundworm that are present in a fecal sample and that can specifically and stably bind to the anti-DIV6744 pAB. Roundworm coproantigens therefore may be whole roundworm, roundworm eggs, roundworm fragments, or products secreted, excreted or shed from roundworm or a combination thereof. Roundworm coproantigens further include the polypeptides of the present invention, such as the polypeptides having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, or SEQ ID NO:7, polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of those sequences, and/or antigenic fragments of any such polypeptides, for example.

The invention further includes assay kits (e.g., articles of manufacture) for detecting roundworm in a mammalian sample. A kit therefore may include one or more devices and/or compositions of the present invention. For example, the kit may include anti-roundworm antibodies and means for determining binding of the antibodies to roundworm antigens in the sample. In one particular example, such a kit includes the device having an immobilized anti-roundworm antibody, such as anti-DIV6744 pAB, for example, one or more antigen capture reagents (e.g., a non-immobilized labeled antigen capture reagent and an immobilized antigen capture reagent) and wash reagent, as well as detector reagent and positive and negative control reagents, if desired or appropriate. Other components such as buffers, controls, and the like, known to those of ordinary skill in art, may be included in such test kits. The relative amounts of the various reagents can be varied, to provide for concentrations in solution of the reagents that substantially optimize the sensitivity of the assay. Particularly, the reagents can be provided as dry powders, usually lyophilized, which on dissolution will provide for a reagent solution having the appropriate concentrations for combining with a sample. The present kit may further include instructions for carrying out one or more methods of the present invention, including instructions for using any device and/or composition of the present invention that is included with the kit.

Methods of the Invention

The present invention further includes methods for using one or more of the devices, kits and/or compositions of the present invention to detect the presence or absence of roundworm in a sample. The methods therefore may be carried out to detect the presence or absence of roundworm in a sample, such as, for example, a fecal sample, that is obtained from a mammal, including, but not limited to, a canine, feline, porcine, bovine or human. Further, the methods may be carried out to detect Toxocara, such as T. canis or T. cati, or T. vitulorum, for example. It is to be understood, however, that these methods are not limited to being used to detect Toxocara, and therefore these methods may be carried out for the purpose of detecting other species of roundworm, such as Toxascaris, including T. leonina, Baylisascaris, including B. procyonis, Ascaridia, including A. galli, Parascaris, including P. equorum, or Ascaris, including A. lumbricoides and A. suum, and Anisakis, including Anisakis simplex, or Pseudoterranova, including P. decipiens, for example. These methods further are useful for confirming such presence or absence of roundworm in a sample even when that sample includes one or more products derived from other worm species, including one or more products from hookworm, whipworm, and/or heartworm.

In the methods of the present invention, detection of roundworm may be accomplished by detecting the presence or absence of one or more roundworm antigens, such as the polypeptides having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, or SEQ ID NO:7, as well as antigenic fragments and/or conservative variants of those sequences, for example. When the sample under test for roundworm is feces, the soluble portion of the feces may be collected by any protocol known in art. For example, in addition to the specific protocol described in the Example section herein, the soluble portions of the sample generally may be collected by using filtration, extraction, centrifugation, or simple mixing followed by gravimetric settling. The skilled artisan will recognize that there are a variety of ways of extracting and preparing non-fecal samples from a mammal as well. For example, the sample may be a bodily fluid that is naturally excreted or otherwise released by the mammal or that is artificially obtained from the mammal. Such artificial extraction may be carried out by milking the mammal or by injecting a syringe into the mammal and drawing the fluid into the syringe. Once obtained, the fluid optionally may be fractionated (for example, serum may be fractionated from whole blood as then used as the sample). As another example, the sample may be obtained by swabbing the mammal, such as the oral cavity of the mammal, for example. As yet another example, tissue sections may be obtained by biopsy.

The methods include contacting the mammalian sample with one or more antibodies specific for one or more roundworm antigens under conditions that allow an antigen/antibody complex, i.e., an immunocomplex, to form. That is, an antibody specifically binds to a roundworm antigen present in the sample. The skilled artisan is familiar with assays and conditions that may be used to detect such antigen/antibody complex binding. For example, the antigen/antibody complex may be detected using a secondary antibody that binds to the antigen/antibody complex. The formation of a complex between roundworm antigen and anti-roundworm antibodies in the sample may be detected using any suitable method known in the art.

Further, the relative amount of antibody-antigen complexes that are formed in one particular reaction may be measured with respect to those formed in any other reaction by any methodology known in the art for achieving that goal. When it is determined that a sample under test has more antibody-antigen complexes than does a control sample, it can be concluded that roundworm is present in the test sample. When this is true, it may be concluded that the mammal from which the test sample was obtained harbors an intestinal roundworm infection. Either one or both of the conclusions that roundworm is present in the test sample and that the mammal being tested harbors an intestinal roundworm infection may be made by a clinician at a diagnostic service provider or by a caregiver of the mammal, such as the mammal's veterinarian, for example. When a caregiver of a mammal determines (or is otherwise informed that) a mammal harbors a roundworm infection, the caregiver may then subject the mammal to a course of treatment that is optimally designed to rid the mammal of roundworm specifically, rather than of a parasitic nematode infection generally. In addition, humans who may come in contact with the infested animal or its excretions may be advised to take precautions against acquiring the parasite. In this context, it is important to determine the worm species with high specificity, as some helminths, such as roundworms and hookworms, can cause significant disease (e.g., larva migrans) in humans, while it is generally accepted that whipworm does not play a zoonotic role of importance in humans. Further, the present invention can be used to confirm that any animal that has received treatment for a roundworm infection has been rid of that infection.

The steps of the method of the present invention may include applying a mammalian sample to a device of the invention, which includes an immobilized antibody specific for one or more roundworm antigens, and detecting the presence or absence of the roundworm antigen in the sample. Antibodies specific for antigens of roundworms may be directly or indirectly attached to a solid support or a substrate such as a microtiter well, antibody-immobilizing portion of a SNAP® device, magnetic bead, non-magnetic bead, column, matrix, membrane, fibrous mat composed of synthetic or natural fibers (e.g., glass or cellulose-based materials or thermoplastic polymers, such as, polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester), sintered structure composed of particulate materials (e.g., glass or various thermoplastic polymers), or cast membrane film composed of nitrocellulose, nylon, polysulfone or the like (generally synthetic in nature). All of these substrate materials may be used in suitable shapes, such as films, sheets, or plates, or they may be coated onto or bonded or laminated to appropriate inert carriers, such as paper, glass, plastic films, or fabrics. Suitable methods for immobilizing peptides on solid phases include ionic, hydrophobic, covalent interactions and the like.

The methods of the present invention do not require the use of solid phases or substrates, however. The skilled artisan will recognize that there are a number of ways that the present method may be carried out to detect the presence or absence of roundworm without involving the use of solid phases or substrates. In just one example, immunoprecipitation methods that do not require the use of solid phases or substrates may be carried out.

In some embodiments of the invention, the antigen/antibody complex is detected when an indicator reagent, such as an enzyme conjugate, which is bound to the antibody, catalyzes a detectable reaction. Optionally, an indicator reagent including a signal generating compound may be applied to the antigen/antibody complex under conditions that allow formation of a detectable antigen/antibody/indicator complex. Optionally, the antibody may be labeled with an indicator reagent prior to the formation of an antigen/antibody complex.

The formation of an antigen/antibody complex or an antigen/antibody/indicator complex in some of the methods of the present invention specifically may be detected by radiometric, calorimetric, fluorometric, photometric, size-separation, or precipitation methods. Detection of an antigen/antibody complex also may be accomplished by the addition of a secondary antibody that is coupled to an indicator reagent including a signal generating compound. Indicator reagents including signal generating compounds (labels) associated with a polypeptide/antibody complex may be detected using the methods described above and may include chromogenic agents, catalysts such as enzyme conjugates, fluorescent compounds such as fluorescein and rhodamine, chemiluminescent compounds such as dioxetanes, acridiniums, phenanthridiniums, ruthenium, and luminol, radioactive elements, direct visual labels, as well as cofactors, inhibitors, magnetic particles, and the like. Examples of enzyme conjugates include alkaline phosphatase, horseradish peroxidase, beta-galactosidase, and the like. The selection of a particular label is not critical, but it will be capable of producing a signal either by itself or in conjunction with one or more additional substances.

Methods of the invention include, but are not limited to those based on competition, direct reaction or sandwich-type assays, including, but not limited to ELISA, RIA, immuno-fluorescent assays (IFA), hemagglutination (HA), fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), and microtiter plate assays (i.e., any assay done in one or more wells of a microtiter plate). One assay of the invention includes a reversible flow chromatographic binding assay, which may be performed, for example, by using a SNAP® device. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,010.

In some embodiments, the method of the invention facilitates sandwich or competition-type specific binding assays. In a sandwich assay, antigen capture reagents are immobilized in a reactive zone. These antigen capture reagents may specifically bind to antigens in the sample being tested for roundworm. Following binding of the antigen from the sample, the antigen capture reagent/antigen complex is detected by any suitable method. For example, the complex may be reacted with labeled specific binding reagents (e.g., an enzyme-antibody conjugate) and antigen detected (e.g., upon reaction with substrate).

In other embodiments of the method of the present invention, a competition assay is performed. In a competition assay, antigen capture reagents are immobilized at the reactive zone and are contacted simultaneously with antigen from a sample and labeled antigen (e.g., an antigen-enzyme conjugate). The amount of label detected at the reactive zone is inversely proportional to the amount of antigen in the sample.

In some embodiments of the method, antibodies specific for a roundworm antigen or antigens are attached to a solid phase or substrate. A sample potentially including an antigen from roundworm is added to the substrate. Antibodies that specifically bind roundworm are added. The antibodies may be the same antibodies used on the solid phase or they may be from a different source or species. Further, these antibodies may be linked to an indicator reagent, such as an enzyme conjugate. Wash steps may be performed prior to each addition. A chromophore or enzyme substrate may be added and color may be allowed to develop. The color reaction may be stopped and the color may be quantified using, for example, a spectrophotometer, and/or the color may be subjectively assessed by the human eye.

In other embodiments of the method, antibodies specific for a roundworm antigen or antigens are attached to a solid phase or substrate. A sample potentially including a roundworm antigen is added to the substrate. Second anti-species antibodies that specifically bind antigens of roundworms are added. These second antibodies are from a different species than are the solid phase antibodies. Third anti-species antibodies that specifically bind the second antibodies and that do not specifically bind the solid phase antibodies are added. The third antibodies may include an indicator reagent, such as an enzyme conjugate. Wash steps may be performed prior to each addition. A chromophore or enzyme substrate may added and color may be allowed to develop. The color reaction may be stopped and the color may be quantified using, for example, a spectrophotometer, and/or the color may be subjectively assessed by the human eye.

In a specific example, the method of the present invention is performed in conjunction with a device that is a lateral flow assay device by adding a prepared mammalian sample to a flow matrix of the device at a first region (a sample application zone). The prepared sample is carried in a fluid flow path by capillary action to a second region of the flow matrix where a particulate label capable of binding and forming a first complex with an antigen in the sample exists. The particulate label can be, e.g., a colored latex particle, dye sol, or gold sol conjugated to an antibody specific for a roundworm antigen. The first complex is carried to a third region of the flow matrix where an antibody that specifically binds a roundworm antigen is immobilized at a distinct location. A second complex is formed between the immobilized antibody and the first complex. The particulate label that is part of the second complex can be directly visualized by the human eye.

Roundworm antibody may be an immobilized antigen capture reagent in a reaction zone (solid phase). A second antigen capture reagent, i.e., a second roundworm antibody that has been conjugated to a label, either may be added to the sample before the sample is added to the device, or the second antigen capture reagent can be incorporated into the device. For example, the labeled antigen capture reagent may be deposited and dried on a fluid flow path that provides fluid communication between a sample application zone and the solid phase. Contact of the labeled antigen capture reagent with the test sample can result in dissolution of the labeled antigen capture reagent.

In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, roundworm antigen is detected by ELISA. Specific examples of the ELISA method of the present invention is described in the Example section included herein. Although the present invention is described with respect to those specific ELISA methods, however, it is to be understood that those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that alternative, additional or substitute ELISA steps may be used without deviating from the basic goal achieved through this method of the invention.

In another embodiment of the present invention, roundworm antigen is detected by using a lateral flow device, such as a SNAP® device, for example.

Further, the methods of the invention for detection of roundworm infection can be combined with other diagnostic assays to detect the presence of other organisms or conditions. For example, assays of the invention can be combined with reagents that detect one or more non-roundworm worm fecal parasites, one or more non-worm fecal parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, one or more bacteria, one or more blood-borne parasites or occult blood or a combination thereof. By providing two or more unique binding sites in a single assay device (such as, for example, two unique spots on a SNAP® assay device), the present invention allows for detection of two or more organisms from a single sample. In one embodiment, there are three unique spots for detection of past or present infection or infestation from three organisms (the spots being either antigen or antibody binding reagents) from a single sample (i.e., the same individual sample is exposed to the three capture reagents on a single device). In yet another embodiment, there are four unique spots for detection of past or present infection or infestation from four organisms (the spots being either antigen or antibody binding reagents) from a single sample (i.e., the same individual sample is exposed to the four capture reagents on a single device. It is to be understood, however, that the same device may include more than four unique spots and/or allow for the detection of more than four organisms.

The reagents for the detection of one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, or one or more bacteria may be, for example, one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one of more fungi, or one or more bacteria.

When a device of the present invention includes reagents for the specific detection of hookworm and reagents for the specific detection whipworm, for example, in addition to the reagents for detecting roundworm, the method of the present invention may involve using that device for the additional purpose or purposes of determining whether the sample that is being tested for roundworm also includes hookworm and/or whipworm. In this arrangement, therefore, the method/device of the present invention would not only be able to specifically confirm that roundworm is present in or absent from any particular test sample, but it would also be useful for specifically confirming that the sample includes or does not include any antigen of hookworm and/or any antigen of whipworm. The capability to specifically detect roundworm and one or more other organisms by applying a single sample to the device of the invention would be useful to the caregiver of the animal from which the sample under test was obtained. A caregiver who learns that a sample includes both roundworm and whipworm, but not hookworm, for example, could use that knowledge to treat the mammal from which the sample was taken specifically for roundworm by administering to that mammal a drug optimally effective against roundworm and a second drug optimally effective against whipworm. Absent such knowledge, the caregiver may, for example, otherwise treat the mammal with a drug that is optimally effective against only roundworm, only whipworm, or neither roundworm nor whipworm (in such cases, the mammal would be at risk of receiving suboptimal treatment). In addition, humans who may come in contact with the infested animal or its excretions may be advised to take precautions against acquiring the parasite or parasites. In this context, it is important to determine the worm species with high specificity, as some helminths, such as roundworms and hookworms, can cause significant disease (e.g., larval migrans, severe enteritis or allergic reactions) in humans, while it is generally accepted that whipworm does not play a zoonotic role of importance in humans.

The method further may optionally include using one or more nucleic acids from roundworm, including, but not limited to, the nucleic acids of the present invention, to determine the presence or absence of roundworm in a mammalian sample. Such use of these nucleic acids for determining the presence of roundworm may be carried out before, after or concomitantly with the carrying out of any other aspects of the method, including the detection of roundworm by antibody. Therefore, in one aspect, after roundworm is detected or not detected in a particular sample and the mammal from which the sample was obtained is diagnosed as either having or not having a roundworm infection, the sample (or a later-obtained sample from the diagnosed mammal) may be tested for the presence or absence of any one or more of the nucleic acids, including any one or more nucleic acids of the invention. Anyone failing to detect roundworm in a particular mammal by using one or more nucleic acids (after the roundworm had been detected by using one or more antibodies) would need to take into consideration the possibility that the antibodies had detected roundworm antigen prior to the appearance of detectable roundworm nucleic acid in the sample. In such an instance, the mammal's caregiver may elect to ignore the observation that the nucleic acid had failed to detect the roundworm and proceed with treating the mammal specifically for roundworm infection based on the observation that the antibodies had in fact detected roundworm. In another aspect, the nucleic acids are used to determine the presence or absence of roundworm in a particular mammal, and then the presence or absence of roundworm is further evaluated by using the antibodies of the present invention. Detection of one or more roundworm nucleic acids may be carried out by using any nucleic acid detection techniques known to the skilled artisan. For example, such detection may be carried out by performing a PCR-based technique, such as, but limited to, for example, a real-time PCR-based technique. Exemplary PCR-based techniques are described in, e.g., PCR Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology), 2^(nd) ed., Bartlett and Stirling, eds., Humana Press (2003); and Sambrook and Russell, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (2001); each one of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention is specifically described with reference to five Examples; however, it is not to be construed as being limited thereto.

EXAMPLES

Unless otherwise indicated, the following materials and techniques were used to generate data described in one or more of Examples 1-5 as described below.

Polyclonal antibody preparation. The polyclonal antibody “anti-DIV6744 pAB” (IgG) was raised in rabbit against a polypeptide having amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:5 and purified from serum by using standard methods. Briefly, nucleotides 71 through 466 of SEQ ID NO:1 were cloned in-frame into a vector (D8223, which is a derivative of pUC19) to create the plasmid D8247. Specifically, the 125 amino acids of SEQ ID NO:5 that follow the methionine residue at the N-terminus of that sequence correspond to a portion of SEQ ID NO:3 and are encoded for by the cloned portion of SEQ ID NO:1. In the D8247 plasmid, the N-terminal methionine residue was encoded for by vector sequence at the junction of that plasmid where the vector was ligated to the cloned sequence from SEQ ID NO:1.

DNA sequence encoding SEQ ID NO:5 was then cleaved from the D8247 plasmid by restriction exonuclease digestion (NdeI and BamHI) and purified. This purified sequence was then ligated to linearized expression vector, pET28a, and the resulting circular construct (pTDX200::DIV6744) was transformed into BL21 (DE3) E. coli cells. (The complete sequence of the insert was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis.) Expression of His-tagged fusion protein was induced by addition of 1 mM IPTG to cultures of the transformed E. coli. Recombinant protein was solubilized in 6 M urea and purified by nickel affinity and ion exchange chromatography. (This recombinant protein is hereinafter is referred to as “rDIV6744”.)

After rDIV6744 was introduced into rabbits, anti-DIV6744 pAB was purified from the plasma of the immunized rabbits by isolating IgG antibody by protein G affinity chromatography. The polyclonal antibody anti-DIV6744 pAB was used in all Examples described herein.

Infection and anti-helminth treatment of canine and feline animals. Parasitic nematode infection was effected by orally administering about 150-300 larvated eggs of either roundworm (Toxocara), hookworm (Ancylostoma canium), or whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) to a healthy canine or feline. (Specifically, T. canis was the roundworm that was administered to canine and T. cati was the roundworm that was administered to feline.) For Example 2, fecal samples were collected from canines known to be naturally infected with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis). Further, for Examples 4 and 5 only, canines were treated at post-infection day 91 with Interceptor® (milbernycin oxime), which is an anthelmintic agent commercially available from Novartis Animal Health Inc. of Basel, Switzerland, or felines were treated at post-infection day 56 with Drontal® (praziquantel/pyrantel pamoate), which is an anthelmintic agent commercially available from Bayer HealthCare, LLC of Shawnee Mission, Kans., according to the manufacturer's protocol. It is well known by those of ordinary skill in the art that Interceptor® and Drontal® are effective for the removal of roundworms (and other parasitic worms) from canines and felines, respectively, within 72 hours after treatment. Infection was confirmed by microscopic observation of worm ova in fecal samples obtained from these host animals.

Canine and feline fecal sample preparation. Canine and feline animals known to be free of parasitic worm infection or to be infected with one of either roundworm, hookworm, whipworm or heartworm provided the source of fecal samples. Samples (approximately 1 gram) from frozen, unpreserved canine or feline fecal samples were suspended in 4 ml of diluent solution (“diluent solution” is 0.05 M Tris base; 1 mM EDTA; 0.45% Kathon; 16 mg/ml gentamicin sulfate; 0.05% Tween-20; 40% fetal bovine serum; 10% rabbit serum; and 5% mouse serum). The suspension was centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 20 minutes to produce a first supernatant. The first supernatant was centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 5 minutes to produce a second supernatant, which is referred to herein as “fecal extract”.

ELISA assays. Purified anti-DIV6744 pAB (100 μl/well for all Examples; 10 μg/ml for each Example but Example 3, and 3 μg/ml for Example 3) was immobilized by physical adsorption on Immulon 1B 96-well plates overnight at 4° C. The plates were then blocked with 1% BSA in 0.1M Tris pH 7.0 at 4° C. overnight, followed by drying at room temperature. Approximately 100 μl of fecal extract was added to each well and allowed to incubate at room temperature for one hour. The wells were then washed five times with a PBS-Tween-20 solution according to standard methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In a separate reaction vessel, free anti-DIV6744 pAB was labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by using the crosslinker succinimidyl 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (SMCC) to create a conjugate, and 7.5 μg/ml of this conjugate was added (except in Example 3, FIG. 10, where 3 μg/ml was added) to each well having immobilized anti-DIV6744 pAB. Following a 30-minute incubation period at room temperature, unbound conjugate was washed from the wells by using PBS-Tween-20 solution according to standard methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art. 50 μl of TMBLUE™ peroxidase substrate (SeraCare Life Sciences, West Bridgewater, Mass.) was then added to each well and the plates were incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature. After stopping each enzymatic reaction with 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) following the 10-minute incubation period, the optical density (OD) value of each well of the 96-well plate was measured at A650 by standard spectrophotometric techniques by using an ELISA plate reader to generate an “OD650 value” (or, more simply, an “OD value”) for each well. In this arrangement, the OD value obtained for any particular well of the 96-well plate was directly proportional to the amount of specifically bound antigen present in the well.

Example 1

Anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm in fecal samples obtained from roundworm-infected canines, and does so as early as 31 days after the canines were first infected with roundworm.

It was a goal of Example 1 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm coproantigen in canines. It was a second goal of Example 1 to determine whether anti-DIV67446 pAB can detect roundworm coproantigens in roundworm-infected canines before roundworm ova first appear in the feces of those canines.

Measured OD values for fecal samples obtained from individual canines that were known to have a roundworm-infection are shown in FIG. 7. Specifically, these samples correspond to the roundworm-infected canines that are identified as “round+SPY”, “round+QKZ” and “round+RYZ” in FIG. 7. An OD value also was measured for whole Toxocara canis extract (“Whole Toxocara”; added to the plate at 1 μg/ml) and for rDIV6744 (added to the plate at 1 μg/ml), which served as positive controls. (Specifically, the whole Toxocara extract was prepared as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/763,592, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.) Further, an OD value was measured for each one of two fecal extracts obtained from two canines that did not have a parasitic worm infection (“negTIY” and “negSVY”) and for a sample that did not contain any fecal extract (“Diluent Only”). (These latter three samples served as negative controls.) It was confirmed by microscopic inspection that the feces from both negative control canines and from the round+QKZ canine at d31 were free of worm ova, and that the feces from the round+QKZ, round+RYZ, and round+SPY canines at day 62 included a substantial number of worm ova.

The measured OD value of the fecal extract obtained from the negTIY and negSVY canines was 0.10 and 0.15, respectively, and the measured OD value of the diluent only sample was 0.06. (The average OD value for these negative control samples therefore was 0.10.) The anti-DIV6744 pAB therefore was considered to not have specifically bound antigen in any one of these negative control samples.

Conversely, the average of the measured OD values of the samples obtained from the QKZ, RYZ, and SPY canines at day 62 was 2.12, 1.86, and 1.50, respectively. The average of these three roundworm-infected samples therefore was 1.83, which was more than 18 times higher than the average OD value measured for the three negative control samples. These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds one or more roundworm coproantigens.

Further, the OD value that was measured for the QKZ canine at day 31 was 0.45, which was almost five times higher that was the average of the OD values that were measured for the negative controls. These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds, and therefore is capable of detecting, roundworm coproantigen in canines as early as post-infection day 31 and before the appearance of roundworm ova in the feces of those canines.

Example 2

Anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm coproantigen, but does not specifically bind coproantigen from either hookworm, whipworm or heartworm.

It was a goal of Example 2 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds coproantigen of hookworm and/or whipworm in canines. Measured OD values for pooled canine fecal extracts are shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, these fecal extracts were derived from fecal samples obtained from five canine animals known to be infected with roundworm (“Roundworm-infected”), two canine animals known to be infected with hookworm (“Hookworm-infected”), and five canine animals known to be infected with whipworm (“Whipworm-infected”). Additionally, OD values were also measured for whole Toxocara canis extract (“Whole Toxocara”; 1 μg/ml), which served as positive controls, and for a pooled sample of fecal extracts obtained from five canines known to be free of parasitic worm infection (“Uninfected”) and for a sample that did not contain any fecal extract (“Diluent Only”). (These latter two samples served as negative controls.)

Referring to FIG. 8, the OD value measured for the hookworm-infected and whipworm-infected samples was 0.08 and 0.13, respectively. Each one of these values approximated or equaled the measured OD values of the negative control diluent only sample (0.06) and the negative control uninfected sample (0.08). These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB did not specifically bind coproantigen in either of the samples obtained from the hookworm-infected and whipworm-infected canines.

Conversely, the measured OD value of the pooled fecal extract from the roundworm-infected canines was 1.54, which was about 12-20 times higher than obtained for the negative control samples and the hookworm-infected and whipworm-infected samples. These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds one or more roundworm antigens, but does not specifically bind any hookworm or whipworm coproantigen.

It was another goal of Example 2 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds coproantigen of heartworm in canines. Measured OD values for individual canine fecal extracts are shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, these samples were obtained from heartworm-infected canines that are identified as “TRS 405”, “TRS 583”, and “TRS 868” in FIG. 9. Further, an OD value also was measured for each one of two fecal extracts obtained from two canines that did not have a parasitic worm infection (“negTIY” and “negLCZ”). (These latter two extracts served as negative controls.)

Referring to FIG. 9, the average of the OD values measured for the heartworm-infected samples was 0.11 (with the largest of these OD values being 0.15), which approximated the average of the two OD values measured for the negative control samples (0.12). These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB did not specifically bind any coproantigen in the samples obtained from the heartworm-infected canines.

Example 3

Anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm coproantigen, but does not specifically bind coproantigen from either hookworm, whipworm or heartworm, and specific binding of roundworm coproantigen by anti-DIV6744 pAB produces a calorimetric change that is readily observable to the human eye.

It was a goal of Example 3 to determine whether specific binding between anti-DIV6744 pAB and roundworm coproantigen while the anti-DIV6744 pAB is immobilized on a solid support can yield a calorimetric change that is observable to the human eye.

Referring to FIG. 10, anti-DIV6744 pAB (3 μg/ml) was immobilized n to the bottom surfaces of wells A1-A12 and B1-B 12 of a microtiter plate as described before. Following such immobilization, the A3 and B3 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a heartworm-infected canine (indicated by “HW” in FIG. 10). The A4 and B4 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a first hookworm-infected canine, the A5 and B5 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a second hookworm-infected canine, and the A6 and B6 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a third hookworm-infected canine. The A7 and B7 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a first roundworm-infected canine, the A8 and B8 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a second roundworm-infected canine, and the A9 and B9 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a third roundworm-infected canine. The A10 and B10 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a first whipworm-infected canine, the A11 and B11 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a second whipworm-infected canine, and the A12 and B12 wells were exposed to fecal extract from a third whipworm-infected canine. The A1 and B1 wells were exposed to rDIV6744 (1 μg/ml), and therefore those wells served as positive controls. The A2 and B2 wells were not exposed to any fecal extract or to rDIV6744, and therefore those wells served as negative controls.

Following incubation of all of these wells with TMBLUE® peroxidase substrate and the subsequent addition of the SDS, calorimetric change was visually observed in each one the wells that had been exposed to fecal extract from roundworm-infected canines (A7-A9 and B7-B9), but no calorimetric change was observed in any of the wells that had been exposed to fecal extract from canines infected with either hookworm, whipworm or heartworm.

These data indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB detects roundworm sufficiently enough to produce a calorimetric change that is robust and readily visible to the human eye. Further, these data indicate that such calorimetric change allows the human eye to readily distinguish roundworm-positive fecal samples from those that do not contain roundworm, including those that include one or more of hookworm, whipworm, or heartworm.

Example 4

Anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces of a canine animal that has had a roundworm infection, but that has been rid of that infection by the time the feces were excreted by the canine.

It was a goal of Example 4 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB detects roundworm in feces of a canine animal that has been rid of a prior roundworm infection. OD values measured for fecal samples obtained from an uninfected canine one day prior to that animal's infection with roundworm (“day −1”) and from the same canine (dog “WHY”) at days 31, 52 and 100 after that animal was infected with roundworm are shown in FIG. 11. This roundworm-infected canine was treated with the Interceptor® anthelmintic agent on day 91 of this period as described before. Microscopic observation of these fecal samples confirmed that each one of the “day −1”, “day 31”, and “day 100” samples was substantially free of roundworm ova, and that such ova were abundant in the “day 52” sample.

Referring to FIG. 11, the OD value measured for the fecal sample from post-infection day 52 was 1.84, which was more than 20 times greater than was the OD value that was measured for the day −1 sample (0.09) and was more than 14 greater than was the OD value that was measured for the day 100 sample (0.13). The data shown in FIG. 11 therefore indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces of a canine that has been rid of a prior roundworm infection.

Further, the OD value measured for the fecal sample from post-infection day 31 was 0.90, which was 10 times greater than was the OD value that was measured for the day −1 sample (0.09). These data therefore further indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB is capable of detecting roundworm coproantigen in a canine as early as post-infection day 31 and before the appearance of roundworm ova in the canine's feces.

To confirm the prior observation that anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces of canine animals that have been rid of a prior roundworm infection, OD values were measured for fecal samples obtained from four additional canines that were infected with roundworm and then rid of that infection. These data are shown in FIG. 12. These canines, which are identified as “QKZ”, “RYZ”, KWZ”, “SPY” and “WHY”, were infected with roundworm on day 0 and were treated with the Interceptor®anthelmintic agent on day 91 after the administration of the infection as described before. Fecal samples were taken from all or some of the first set of canines on day 0, on day 2 and day 111 following the administration of the roundworm infections to these animals, and on selected days between day 2 and day 111 Microscopic observation of the fecal samples from the first set of canines confirmed that each one of the samples taken at day 0 through day 31 and at day 100 through day 111 was substantially free of roundworm ova, and that, with one exception, such ova were present only in the samples at each one of days 38 through 97. (The lone exception being that ova were not observed in the day 38 fecal sample from the KWZ canine.)

Referring to FIG. 12, the OD values measured for the fecal samples taken from the canines at post-infection days 38 through 93 were many times higher (in four out of five dogs) than were the OD values measured for fecal samples from those same canines following their treatment with the anthelmintic agent. These data therefore support the conclusion that anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces from a canine that has been rid of a prior roundworm infection.

Example 5

Anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm antigen in fecal samples obtained from roundworm-infected feline animals, and anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces of feline animals that have had a roundworm infection, but that have been rid of that infection by the time the feces were excreted by the felines.

It was a first goal of Example 5 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB specifically binds roundworm coproantigen in felines. It was a second goal of Example 5 to determine whether anti-DIV6744 pAB detects roundworm in feces of feline animals that have been rid of a prior roundworm infection.

Toward these goals, OD values were measured for fecal samples obtained from a first set of six felines and a second set of six felines. These data are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, respectively. The first set of felines, which are identified as “C96”, “C100”, C107”, “C85”, “C87” and “C104”, were infected with roundworm on day 0 and were treated with the Drontal® anthelmintic agent on day 56 after the administration of the infection as described before. Fecal samples were taken from all or some of the first set of felines on day 0, day 1 and day 77 following the administration of the roundworm infections to these animals, and on selected days between day 1 and day 77. Microscopic observation of the fecal samples from the first set of felines confirmed that each one of the samples taken at day 0 through day 26 and at day 60 through day 77 was substantially free of roundworm ova, and that such ova were present in each one of the day 34 through day 54 samples.

The second set of felines, which are identified as “C91”, “C97”, C106”, “C81”, “C98” and “C118”, were never infected with roundworm (and therefore served as negative controls). Fecal samples were taken from each one of these felines on the day that the first set of felines were infected with roundworm (day 0). Further, fecal sample were taken from these second set of felines on day 1 and day 74 following the administration of the roundworm infections to the first set of felines, and on selected days between day 1 and day 74. Microscopic observation of the fecal samples from the second set of felines confirmed that each one of the samples taken at day 0 through day 74 was free of roundworm ova.

Referring to FIG. 13, the OD values measured for several of the fecal samples taken from the first set of felines (i.e., the felines that were infected with roundworm) at days 34 through 54 were many times higher than were the OD values measured for fecal sample samples from those same felines following their treatment with the anthelmintic agent. Further, the OD values measured for several of the fecal samples taken from the first set of felines at days 34 through 54 were many times higher than for each one of the negative control samples of FIG. 14. These data further indicate that anti-DIV6744 pAB does not detect roundworm in feces from a feline that has been rid of a prior roundworm infection.

The invention illustratively described herein suitably can be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations that are not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, in each instance herein any of the terms “comprising”, “consisting essentially of”, and “consisting of” may be replaced with either of the other two terms, while retaining their ordinary meanings. The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments, optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the description and the appended claims.

A number of examples to help illustrate the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the claims appended hereto. 

1. A method for specifically detecting the presence or absence of one or more roundworm Toxocara antigens in a sample, the method comprising: (a) contacting a sample from a mammal with one or more antibodies that specifically bind to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, and SEQ ID NO: 7 to form antibody-polypeptide complexes in the presence of the polypeptides if any, in the sample, and (b) detecting the presence or absence of the antibody-polypeptide complexes, if any.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sample is a fecal sample.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of contacting the sample with one or more reagents to detect one or more of the group consisting of: one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, and one or more bacteria.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the reagents for the detection of any one or all of the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi and one or more bacteria are one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi or one or more bacteria.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sample is obtained from a mammal that is a canine or a feline.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the roundworm is Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.
 7. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more antibodies do not specifically bind any coproantigen derived from the group consisting of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the presence or absence of the complexes further includes the step of providing at least one secondary antibody that binds to at least one of the complexes.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one secondary antibody is labeled.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the one or more antibodies are labeled.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more antibodies are immobilized on a solid support.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the solid support forms part of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device is a lateral flow immunoassay device.
 14. A method for specifically diagnosing whether a mammal is infected with an intestinal roundworm Toxocara infection, the method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a sample from a mammal with one or more antibodies that specifically bind to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 and SEQ ID NO: 7; to form antibody-polypeptide complexes in the presence of the polypeptides if any, in the sample, and (b) diagnosing the mammal as having the roundworm Toxocara infection if a roundworm antibody-polypeptide complex is present.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of contacting the sample with one or more reagents to detect one or more of the group consisting of: one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi, and one or more bacteria.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the reagents for the detection of any one or all of the one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi and the one or more bacteria are one or more antibodies or one or more antigens recognized by antibodies specific for one or more non-roundworm worm parasites, one or more non-worm parasites, one or more viruses, one or more fungi or one or more bacteria.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the mammal is a canine or a feline.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein the roundworm is Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati.
 19. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of detecting the presence or absence of the antibody-polypeptide complexes further includes the step of providing at least one secondary antibody that binds to the antibody-polypeptide complexes.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one secondary antibody is labeled.
 21. The method of claim 14 wherein one or more of the one or more antibodies are labeled.
 22. The method of claim 14 wherein the one or more antibodies are immobilized on a solid support.
 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the solid support forms part of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay device is a lateral flow immunoassay device. 